


To Sweeten Her Temper

by MusicalLuna



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: ALLA THEM, Birthday, Cupcake - Freeform, DUN DUN DUNNNNNN, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Tony is so insecure it's precious, Tony tried, all of the Pepperony feels, and there is also some almost actual porn, bow chika bow wow, cupcake porn, if the cupcake doesn't rot your teeth the fluff will, okay no there isn't, seriously i'm jealous, stable-ish relationship, that comes after the story ends, that cupcake sounds INCREDIBLE, you'll have to read to see if he succeeds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-13
Updated: 2013-04-13
Packaged: 2017-12-08 10:02:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/760101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalLuna/pseuds/MusicalLuna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony's turning over a new leaf and it's covered in frosting.</p>
<p>Also, not a leaf.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Sweeten Her Temper

**Author's Note:**

  * For [windscryer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/windscryer/gifts).



> Maja wanted this and I give my lady what she wants. Or at least try. Sometimes. When I'm not whinging and making her give me what I want.
> 
> Also, I conned Maja into betaing and posting this and she, in retaliation, conned me into writing my own summary, even though I do all of hers, too. Goddammit, Maja.
> 
> (*airkiss* EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! -M)

Tony shifts back and forth on the balls of his feet, staring at the little glowing numbers in the elevator counting the floors up to Pepper's office. In his left hand he's carrying a pretty blue paper box by its solitary handle, which contains a sunny yellow cupcake the size of his head, dotted with cornflower blue blossoms. The right is tapping at the arc reactor at a pace his fingers can barely keep up with.

The cupcake is for Pepper's birthday. At least, he's pretty sure it's Pepper's birthday. 96% sure.

Maybe 88%.

_Reasonably_ sure, okay. As sure as he can be, since Rhodey just gave him an incredulous look and said, "Please; please tell me you're joking. Tony. Twenty _years,_ man," to which he'd, of course, laughed and waved his hand and said, "I was just testing you, sweet pea."

Then he'd had JARVIS scour the internet and the Stark Industries database, but somehow Pepper's managed to keep her birthday under the radar, which, _what._ How was that even possible, that was, like, required information on job applications, wasn't it? Did she know he'd be looking? Had she actually, deliberately _hidden_ it from him?

And then he'd had an attack of paranoia and thought maybe she really was hiding it from him because she didn't want to celebrate them anymore, because she was getting old, which was totally absurd because Pepper could be a hundred and sixty-three and Tony was pretty sure she'd still be the most flawless woman on the planet, but insecurities weren't a _logical_ thing, Tony could attest to that himself.

He had first hand experience, what with the people handing him things thing, the discussing his feelings thing, the make up thing, which people always thought was a "being famous" thing, but was actually something he'd started in, what, _sixth grade?_

But anyway, the point being, after he'd observed Pepper for another week or so and decided there was no way she was upset about turning...how old was she anyway? Thirty? _Whatever._ After deciding she probably wasn't avoiding her birthday, he'd asked Happy, but that asshole had just laughed in his face. Which was pretty stupid considering Tony _employed_ him, but it wasn't the first time either. Good help is so hard to find.

It wouldn't be such a big deal, except by his calculations, this is her first birthday since they became Tony and Pepper instead of just Mister Stark and Miss Potts, and he can't believe it of himself, but he actually wants to, y'know, do right by her and celebrating her birth on the day it happened seems like a good way to go about it. He definitely doesn't want her buying her own present again this year because, god, that's crass, was he really _that much of a douche?_ Honestly, it's a miracle she stuck with him this long, let alone agreed to go out with him.

Originally, he'd wanted to plan a party, Hollywood-Oscars level shit, but somewhere between coming up with where to land the helicopter and deciding whether or not he wanted to fly in the entire cast of that show—what was it, it's literally the only thing she watches he should be able to remember this... Whatever. The thing with the college and the kids and the guy from the Soup—it had occurred to him that maybe throwing the party of the century—and he does mean century—was more his style than Pepper's.

Then he'd remembered the thing at Walt Disney Concert Hall and while remembering the way Pepper looked in that gown had not made the decision easy, remembering the extraordinary look of discomfort on her face while she let him drag her around the dance floor had helped.

Pepper likes walking around the Tower barefoot in jean shorts. Pepper likes curling up on the couch with him to watch that show— _what is it called—_ and Pepper likes when he makes dinner, even when he burns the asparagus and under-cooks the salmon.

And she should have what she wants. Ideally, all the time, but at the very least on her birthday, right? That's what birthdays are for.

So here he is on—dear God, please let this be the right day—heading up to meet her with a cupcake, which he's absolutely sure is _not_ strawberry.

He even made an appointment, called her assistant and had him pencil him in and everything.

The elevator stops at last and Tony sucks in a breath and straightens up, leaning sideways to check his hair in the gleaming panel of buttons before he steps off, glancing down to make sure he hasn't managed to lose the cupcake in the last five minutes.

"Afternoon, Mister Stark," Pepper's receptionist says, flashing him a smile. He nudges his glasses up his nose and glances at the computer, types a little. The computer dings. "Miss Potts says she'll be with you in approximately five minutes."

"Right," Tony says, "Great. Thanks...Reggie."

The kid beams at him, so he got that right at least, thank God. Insulting Pepper's right hand man would probably not be a great start.

Okay. Five minutes. He can wait five minutes. That's totally doable. Five minutes is, like, 300 seconds. He can make it most of the way to Jersey in five minutes in the suit. Happy can get him halfway across Manhattan in five minutes. Five minutes is no time.

Tony drags his lower lip through his teeth and wanders over to the window, shoving his free hand into his pocket to try and keep from tapping and annoying the daylights out of Reggie. God, he could really use an uplink to JARVIS right now. He hasn't been this nervous in, well, probably since he told Pepper to move in with him, which, yeah, that's a thing he did, he told her to move in instead of asking her. May have moved her things in without asking her first.

She'd been fairly pissed about that until he'd blurted out that he'd just thought it would be less likely to get a no out of her if all the moving was already done. Then she'd just looked exasperated and informed him that he was never to ever try coercing her into anything ever again, but, it _did_ make things easier since if he had _asked_ she would have said yes.

Which he had promised from here to Jötunheim and back that he would never ever do again, he would absolutely confer with her on any major relationship decisions and then he'd apologized to her with his mouth. And not with words.

Fortunately, his non-verbal arguments are extremely convincing.

And now Tony Jr. is getting ideas and _no_ stop that right now, he's not walking into her office with a hard-on on her _birthday._

Except Pepper's kind of got a tiny office kink, so she might like that?

Goddammit, he should have done more research.

“Tony?”

He whirls around, swearing when the movement rocks the box in his hand and clutches it tighter, hoping he didn't just smear the decorations all over the inside of it. "Pepper!" he exclaims and her eyebrows go up, gaze dropping curiously to the box.

"Yes, it's me. You _are_ outside my office." She sounds amused, which is good. Tony tries to breathe and flashes her a grin before sauntering over.

"Hi, yes, I know that, I made an appointment."

Pepper's face warms with a definitely amused smile. "You did, and you're even on time, which is a pleasant surprise."

Tony leans in for a kiss and Pepper turns her cheek, which he graciously allows her to do instead of chasing her mouth the way he normally likes to do.

"To what do I owe the honor?" Pepper asks, beckoning him inside behind her.

Tony follows, closing the door behind them and hefting the box with two fingers. "I brought you something."

"What, pray tell?" Pepper says accepting the box and taking it to the desk.

"Just a little token for you on your special day."

Pepper glances up at him, surprise spreading over her face.

"Your birthday," Tony clarifies and rocks on his heels, proud of himself, because this is kind of a red-letter day for him. There are bouquets of flowers and balloons lining one wall, so he's finally sure he got it right.

The box opens under Pepper's fingers and her attention is momentarily drawn away from him as it spreads out, revealing the cupcake.

Tony sighs in relief because it looks just as beautiful as it did when he picked it up.

Pepper's mouth falls open. "Oh, Tony, this is—"

"Not strawberry," he says quickly. "It's, ah, lavender lemon. I didn't know that was a thing, but it sounded like something you might like? I think the flowers are blueberry—"

"Tony, this is beautiful, thank you," she breathes and Tony feels a warm swell of pride creep up inside him, a flush up his cheeks.

He shrugs, feeling weirdly self-conscious. "Happy birthday, Pep."

He swallows as she plucks one of the little blue blossoms from the cupcake and dips her finger in her mouth, eyes closing as she savors it. His eyes follow as she draws her finger back out, his stomach turning into a liquid heat that drains straight down to his toes.

Pepper glances back up and moves toward him in a couple efficient strides. He reaches out for her automatically and she takes his hands, pulls him into a kiss that tastes like sugared blueberries.

It makes his head swim.

When their mouths part, he murmurs, "I, um, I took the liberty of asking Steve to pull me out of the roster for tonight. So. So we can do whatever you want to do."

Pepper stares at him, lifts her hands to cup his face. "You didn't make any plans."

A tight slither of anxiety wriggles through him and his fingers curl a little tighter around a handful of her blouse. "Um. No. I thought you would want to—"

And then Pepper's kissing the everliving daylights out of him, using every trick she knows revs his engine. His slacks start to get too tight and he groans, drags her away from his mouth. "Jesus, God, Pep, stop or I'm gonna—"

"Yes," she breathes. "I've already canceled the rest of my meetings for the day. I told Reginald to go home after he sent you in."

Tony stares at her. "You're kidding."

"Uh uh," she says, still breathless enough to make him shift on his feet.

"Well, okay then," he says after a moment.

Pepper smiles at him and tips her head back, reaching for the buttons on her blouse. "I have a job for you, Mister Stark. Do you think you're up for the challenge?"

"Oh, I'm up for it," he replies and Pepper breaks, bursts into laughter. It's the sweetest sound Tony's ever heard.

He's going to make this a birthday she'll never forget.


End file.
